Dyeing apparatus.



No. 796,668'. PATENTED AUG. 8, '1905. J. MARSHALL. DYEING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILBD PEB.9.1905.

2 SHEBTS-SH'BET 1.

WIT/VESSES No. 796,668. PATENTED AUG 8, 1905.

J. MARSHALL.

DYEING APPARATUS. APPLIGATON FILED rBB.9.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DYEING. APPARATUS.

lio. '796,668

Specification of Letters Patent.

1`atented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed February 9, 1905. Serial No. 244,971.

To all 11171/0111, '/t 11u07/ con/cern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs MARSHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dyeing andClearing Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in dyeing and clearing vats inwhich articles to be treated are immersed in a succession of liquidsolutions designed to set the color or to wash or clear the fabrics fromany extraneous matter.

The object of my invention is not only to perform the operationmechanically and automatically in a more thorough and uniform mannerthan can be done by the present separate processes, but to make thewhole process automatically continuous, so that each article is treatedexactly alike as to length of immersion and manipulation in the severalsolutions. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a parted outside elevationof the apparatus; Fig. 2, a front view Fig. 8, an enlarged view of oneof the movable frames, Fig. 4, a parted horizontal section on line A ofFig. 5, which shows a vertical section through line B of Fig. 4.

In all the iigures like numerals relate to like parts.

1 is avat for holding a liquid solution; 2, a vat having similar sideand end sections abutting against vat 1 and holding a liquid solutionadapted for successive application to the articles treated. This vat isshown parted, as it is desirable in most instances to have it muchlonger than could be illustrated here, 3 is a vat arranged above theother two, having substantially the same width, of suitable depth, andalso shown parted for the above reasons. This vat holds hot or coldwater or any solution desirableV for washing or clearing the fabricsfrom any extraneous matter. These vats are arranged in upper and lowerdivisions supported by a substantial frame, as shown.

4 is a movable frame, a number of which are used in connection with theapparatus. It consists (see Fig. 3) of a frame of any suitable shape,one side of which is formed into an axle 5, having a fast centralbearing 6 and outside j ournals 7, supporting loose boxes 8. These boxesare attached in a uniform manner by means of screws or bolts to a linkbelt,9, which moves continuously along the top edges of the sides of thevats and around the four sprocket-wheels 10 at each end of the vats.These parts are duplicated on each side of the vats, so that themovement of the frames is uniform through the liquor. The journals ofthe frame-axles are extended beyond the sides of the vats and terminatein gear-wheels 11, made fast to them. The side edges of the two lowervats have a raised track 12 of any desirable shape secured to them, andthe bottoms of the loose boxes are grooved, as at 13 in Fig. 3, toconform to this shape and slide'upon it. The sprocket-wheels 10 neareach end of the vats are attached to through-shafts 14, journaled inboxes 15, attached to the frame of the machine and having at oneoutboard end fast sprocket-wheels 16 17, which drive them. (See Fig. 2.)These wheels are connected by link belts 18 19 to a central drivingmechanism consisting of a shaft 20, journaled in boxes 21, attached tothe frame and carrying between the boxes a spur-gear 22. On the outboardend of this shaft is afast pulley-23, which is belted to any convenientpower for driving the apparatus. Below this shaft, journaled in boxes24, isl a through-shaft 25, carrying a large gear 26, meshing intov thespur-gear, and a sprocket-wheel 27, driving the link belt 19 on one sideof the machine. At the other end of the shaft is a similarsprocket-wheel 28, driving the link belt 18 on the other side of themachine. Thus the driving-chains give to all the sprocket-wheels,shafts, and boxes attached to the chains carrying the movable frames apositive uniform slow movement through the various solutions.

The frames, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, at the front of the machine areheld in a horizontal position as they pass in order that they may besupplied with the materials to be treated and those finished removed.This is most easily accomplished by having a matched frame with suitablecatches on which the materials have already been arranged and which isuickly substituted for a iinished frame as it Csllowly passes down thefront of the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The link belts beingstarted, the frame 4 at the starting position 29 (see Fig. 5) moves inthe direction of the dotted line and entering the vat passes through theliquid, as shown at position 30, until it reaches position 31, where itencounters inside flanges 32, arranged at each side of the vat, whichpush the frame u until its central axle-bearing 6 encounters t e centralarched track 33,which causes the frame to rise from vat 1 and descendinto vat 2, where the outside axlegears 11 encounter an outside rack 35,(see Figs. 1 and 2,) and the frame 4 begins to revolve through theliquid as it. moves along, as shown in position 34 of Fig. 5, thusstirring the materials well through the solution, and this is kept upfor any desirable length of vat. The gear-racks end in time to leave theframe 4 in a quiescent state as it passes under the sprocket-wheel atposition 36. Having passed around it, its center bearing slides upon theupright track 37, which steadies the frame until it passes around theupper sprocket wheel, where its center bearing slides upon track 38,which supports the frame over the edge of vat 3, where it descends intothe liquid, as shown at position 39. At the same time the outsidegear-wheels encounter outside tracks 40, (see Fig. 2,) which cause theframe to revolve through the vat until it reaches its end at position41. Here its center bearing encounters track 42, which supports it overthe sprocket-wheel to position 43, where it passes down upright track 44to the starting-point. These operations may be lengthened or repeated,as is desirable.

Various mechanical modifications for the lifting or revolving devices orthe manipulatio-n or form of the frames carrying the materials may beadopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' The apparatus is suitable for a variety of uses, such as the clearingof hats after stiffening and other similar operations. Y

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a dyeing and clearing apparatus the combination of a framesupporting vats adapted to hold liquids, said vats being arranged inupper and lower divisions, aseries of frames having a forward movementthrough the liquids contained in the vats of the lower division,mechanism for transferring said frames from vat to vat, mechanism forlifting the frames from the vats of the lower division to the vats ofthe upper division, said mechanism giving said frames a return movementthrough the liquid contained in said upper vats to the place ofbeginning, substantially as described and shown.

2. In a dyeing or clearing apparatus, the combination of two or morevats arranged contiguous to each other adapted to hold liquids, a seriesof frames joined to link belts at regular intervals adapted to movealong the edges of said vats, said frames having outside journals towhich gear-wheels are made fast, said gear-wheels meshing into racks`made fast to the sides of said vats, whereby the frames are revolved atsuitable intervals and positions within said vats, substantially asdescribed and shown.

3. In a dyeing or clearing apparatus, the combination of two or morevats arran ed contiguous to each other adapted to hold iquids andsupported by a common frame, a series of movable frames having axles atone side, and loose boxes ournaled on said axles adapted to move alongthe edges of said vats, continuous link belts made fast to said boxes atsuitable intervals, sprocket-wheels actuated by a driving power givingmovement to said belts, gears made fast to the extremities of saidframe-axles arranged outside said vats, racks made fast to the side ofsaid vats engaging said gears at suitable intervals, and a centralbearing on said frame-axles, arranged to slide upon a central track, andsupport said frames, when not supported by the sides of the vats,substantially as described and shown.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

SAML. H. FAIRCHILD, BRoNsoN S. BURR.

